Tackling hunger in Ethiopia

Tirunesh, 41, is a potato farmer and mother of six from the Gamo Gofa district of Ethiopia.

Like many others, she struggled to feed her family for three months of the year using traditional farming practices and local seed varieties, which are prone to disease. Known as the hungry season, this period usually lasts from August to November each year.

When a family’s food stores run out – whether from low rainfall, land shortages or other factors – they quickly become malnourished. Children in particular become weak, vulnerable and less able to fight illness.

From potatoes to profit

Tirunesh was selected for a training program to improve her potato production. The program targets women, who face challenges such as lack of land due to local traditions.

Tirunesh learned new techniques, such as ploughing, ridge-making and pest management. Using different potato seeds, Tirunesh put her new skills into practice, harvesting three tonnes of potatoes in her first season.

“The new potatoes are disease-resistant, high-growth and have a good yield,” said Tirunesh.

Last season, Tirunesh sold 500kg of potatoes for $130 and kept another 25kg for the next cropping season. She allocated the rest to household consumption.

Building a potato warehouse

Tirunesh also built a ‘dark storage’ facility to cut down on post-harvest loss. After receiving building materials such as nails and iron sheets, she hired a carpenter to complete the facility using locally-sourced materials. The facility can store and protect potatoes for over four months.

“Before the construction of the dark storage, I kept the potatoes under the soil and that exposed them to disease and reduced the shelf life of the product,” said Tirunesh. “I reduced the hungry season by two months and used my income to buy a cow and a sheep.”

These animals have helped her to further diversify her income and put money aside for her children’s education.

Donate now to help more women like Tirunesh feed their families and earn an income.

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